Tredje AP fonden Invests $15.54 Million in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Tredje AP fonden bought a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 55,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,537,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. NewEdge Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 34.4% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 4,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,212,000 after buying an additional 1,112 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its holdings in Marriott International by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after buying an additional 2,723 shares in the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,721,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $2,990,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $3,769,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Argus increased their price target on Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 16th. UBS Group increased their price target on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Barclays lowered their price target on Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $286.45.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $243.81 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $67.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.30, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $279.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $269.47.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. Analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total value of $292,463.92. Following the transaction, the director now owns 4,551 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,262,811.48. This trade represents a 18.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132 over the last 90 days. 12.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc engages in operating, franchising, and licensing hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Méridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels, Element Hotels, Protea Hotels by Marriott, City Express by Marriott, and St.